Feeler mechanism for looms



April 26, 1932. H. w. THATCHER 1,855,599

EELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed April 1o, 1931 ATTORNEY inj ure d.

Patented Apr. 26, 1932 HARRY w. THATGHER, or HOPEDALE, MAssAcHUsn'rr:5 AssreNon fro nBArEacon; .i

PORATION, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS; A` CORPORATION OF MAINE MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Appneanon ned April 1o,

andupon substantial exhaustion of filling to be electrically connected by means of a metal piece or sleeve on the filling carrier or bobbin. The feeler members of such electrical feeler mechanisms are usually formed of a rodV which is urged rearwardly by a 'spring to enter the shuttle and detect the conditionv of the filling. Since the feeler members as nowV ordinarily employed move in a straight path towards and from the frontof theloom on detecting beatsand the lay moves in a curved path much injury is sometimes produced on the filling. It Awill happen at times also that the feeler -members may engage the filling 'while the, shuttle is still in motioniand hereV again the illingis It lhas been proposed heretofore to produce an electric feeler member of the rod type with ayieldingly mounted lor flexible Yfilling engaging tip in an attempt to obviate filling injury.

One of the objects vof the present invention yis to -provide a feeler mechanism for looms `wherein the illingfeeler, preferably of the electric type, is so formed and constructed that it is of= light character, is flexible Ythroughout. and cheap and readily manufactured. y Y

More specifically -stated,.the filling feeler of the present invention as shown is forme of a' continuous wireV wound into a helical spring, one portion of which is of'less pitch between the coils of the-wirethan .another` portion, so that the filling feelery-is self contained." y Y In accordance with the helical spring which .constitutesfthe fill ing feeler is` of two diameters; Ythe larger diameter which constitutes the supporting 'an electric feeler mechanism.k

the present invention 1931. seriai' N0.f529,o65.`

element for the feeler, is an. open helix, l,while the portion of smaller diameter is a closed helix andextends rearwardl to engagea surface lwithin the shuttle on c etecting beats.

While the invention is shown and described as especially advantageous in the electrical type of feeler mechanisms, certain aspects of the invention" are not necessarily limited thereto, but for the present purposes the invention will be described in connection with The invention andnovel features thereof will best be made clear from thefollowing description and accompanying drawings of one good form thereof.

In the drawings z- 'Y Fig. 1 is a plan vi invention with some portions of the shuttle broken away; l f 7 n Fig. '2 is a section on the line 2-2of Fig. 1; Fig.' 3 is a view similar to. thatof'Fig. 2 showing the feelerr of thepresentY invention without the separate tip portion of FigJQ.

' The' loomwframe 1 mayibeof usual con. struction and provided with asupporting bracket?J of any desired character and mounted upon the r-lcracket 2'is the feeler stand 3 'formed of insulating material, and secured.n

to the bracket Q'by' means ofl a bolt 4. Y The feeler stand 3 supportsthe two-filling feelers','eachv of :which is constituted by wire wound intoV af helical spring, and vsince both iillingfeelers may be ofthevsame' construction a description' of one will besuliicient. The? filling feeler, las indicated in the drawings,'has an open helical portion jand. a substantiallyclosed helical portion 6, that is the 'feeleri as'shown,isjjformed of a continuous wire woundflntoga helicalspring, the for- ,war-d portion-of which7 as at 5,* hasthe coils d of thehelix on adifferent pitchfrom the coils ew showing the presentVV so i of the helix at the lesser diameter, as'at 6,and p the open helix portion i*5 is contained within "a recess formed in the rfeeler stand,as shown vmore clearly in Fig,l '2 so that the forward end ofthe open helixmay rest upon an abutment or adjusting screw 7 wherebythe open helix portion, of larger ldiameterlmay exert a tendencytomove the lfeeler as av whole into ,A its rearward Efeelingposition. L

At the point Where the larger diameter of the helix connects with the porti-on of smaller diameter there is a shoulder formed by the convolutions of the helix where the two portions unite. In the present instance the shoulder portion is Vformed in conical shape, as indicated at 8,.Fig. 2, and cooperating with the shoulder 8 the insulating casingis p ro-V vided with a sto-p 9, against which the shoulder contacts lwhen the open helix at 5v has moved the'feeler toits rearward feeling po-v sition. Y The rear portion of the filling feeler, as

hereinbefore noted, is what may be termed a y closed helix, that is the c-onvolutions'of the wire forming the helix are wound close. to-

gether, so that while the rear portion 6 of,V the lling feeler may yield in any direction by virtue of its spring wire construction, the closely laid convolutions will. ltransmit the forward push of the surface within the shuttle on a detecting beat tothe larger open portion of the helix at 5, whereby the filling feeler may be moved Vfrontwardly by the frontward pressure and'when such pressure'has been released the open helix 5 will move the feeler asV a whole to its rearward feeling position luntilthe shoulder 8 engages the stop` 9 at the rear of the feeler stand, thereby positioning the feeling end of the helix to enter the shuttle on detecting beats and feel for the filling.

The open helix portion 5 of each lling feeler is continuous in circuit with an electric conductor. One of the conductors l0 is electrically connected to a plate 11 conveniently heldin place at one end by the securing bolt 4 while its Vfront end portion is down turned, as at 12, and is in electrica-l connection with the adjusting lscrew or other abutmentv 13,

`against which the open helix 5 rests at all times, with the result that the coils of the open portion of the helix arein continuous contact Vwith an electric conductor, and to maintain such contact undisturbed-thebolt or plug 13 has threaded toit a nut 14 between which and the stand 3 thedownturned end 120i the plate llissecured.

Connected with the open helix of the com panion filling feeler. is a conductor 15 which enters a metallic bushing 16, ran end portion of which may bear directly upon the coils of the open helix.- The construction described for maintaining' continuous engagement of the two open helices 1with electric conductors may be variously contrived, but the construe` tion described'is' a convenient form of'this feature. Y Y,

Each of the filling feelers is'supported to ventertheshuttle on detecting beats and feel vfor the filling, Vas indicated in Fig. v1, and as willbe noted the shuttle 17 has anfopening Y18.in its front wall and the filling carrier 19 is provi/ded with a circuit closing member20, shown in the present instance of the invention as a ymetallic sleeve, .Y the Vresult* being lthat of the helical spring filling feelers with a separate tip portion ratherthan have the end ofthe helix 6 engage the filling, as indicatedin Fig. 3, but this is not always neces sary, althoughV when used as indicated in Fig. 2 the contacting tip 21 may be threaded into the, interior coils of the closed helix 6 `as at 22 thereby establishing electrical connection between the separate tip when used and the coils of the helix. g m, *y

From the construction described as. one embodimentV of the present invention it will be noted that each filling feeler lis formed of a continuous wire wound into a helix ofl two diameters,'one of which constitutes the open helix 5 for moving the feeler into rearward feeling position, andthe other of which 6 of lesser diameter takesthe thrust, of the oncoming filling by virtue of its closely wound condition. And while the thrust fmay be taken by the so-.called closed helix 6, Vthe latter may yield in. any direction to accommodate itself to any inaccuracy of the shuttle position' or even during shuttle movement.

The filling feeler of the present invention which is constructed throughout from a continuous wire wound-into,v a helical spring provides a light and easily manipulatedfilling feeler which accommodates itself automatically to any conditions which require flexibility of the feeler and avoids the supplemental use of rigid members, suchas a rod, pin or the like for guiding the feeler in its frontward vor Y rearward movements.v The filling feeler is self-contained and while it is especially adapted for use inthe electrical type of 4feeler mechanismsfeatures thereof are not necessarily confined to this use and while the forward end of the openV helical portion 5 of the filling feeler may restr conveniently againstan adjusting pin or bolt,- such as 7, it is clearly obvious that'some other form of a rest or abutment may be employed.

What is claimed is f f Y 1. In a feelermechanism'for'looms, an electric filling feeler constitutedy as a single helical spring one portion of which is a more open helix than the other. y Y

2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, an electric filling feeler constituted as a single helical 'spring of two diameters, vthe larger diameter being formed as an open helix.

3. In a feeler mechanism for looms, an electric filling feeler constituted as ansingle helical spring of two diameters, the larger diameter being formed'as anfopenhelix and a shoulder formed by the convolutions of the i y helix where the larger and smaller diameters ameter being an open helix and the portion of of the helix connect.

el. In a feeler mechanism for looms, an electric filling feeler formed as a single helicalL spring of two diameters and a f conical shoulder at the union of the larger and smaller diameters of the helix.

5. In a feeler mechanism forlooms, the combination of the feeler stand formed of insulating material, an electric feeler constituted as a single helical spring of two diameters, the larger diameter being mounted in the insulating feeler stand, a shoulder formed by the convolutions of the helix where the larger and smaller diameters of the helix connect, and a stop on the feeler stand for engagementby said shoulder when the feeler is in rearward position.

6. In a feeler mechanism for looms, a feeler stand formed of insulating material, two electric filling eelers supported by the feeler stand and each constituted as a single wire wound into a continuous helical spring having one portion` formed as an open helix mounted on the eel'er stand to yieldingly urge the feeler as a whole to its rearward feeling position, a shoulder formed at the rear portion of the open helix of each feeler, and a stop for engagement by the shoulder to limit rearward movement of the eeler.

7. In a feeler mechanism for looms, a feeler stand formed of insulating material, two electric feelers supported by the eeler stand and each constituted as a continuous wire wound into a helical spring having one por-v tion formed as an open helix mounted on the Jeeler stand and the other portion as a more closed helix extending rearwardly, and an electric conductor is continuous electric connection with each open helix.

8. In a feeler mechanism for looms, a filling eeler formed complete of a continuous wire wound into a helical spring that the feeler may yield in any direction on contact with asurac-e within the shuttle.`

9. In a feeler mechanism Jfor looms, an electric feeler formed complete of a continuous Wire wound into a helical spring, the front portion of the spring being formed as an open helix and the rear portion being formed as a closed helix.

10. A filling `feeler for looms made of wire wound into helical form and comprising two connected helical portions of di'erent diameters. v

11. A filling feeler forlooms made of wire i wound into helical form vand comprising two helical portions of different diameters connected together end to end, one of the helical portions being a more open helixthan the other. Y

l12. A lling eeler for looms formed of wire wound into helical form and comprising two helical Vportions of dierent diameters connected together, the portion of larger di- HARRY wrimrcrmn. p 

